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Access requirements for a private cash vault? California

J

JPohling

Sawhorse
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
1,589
Location
San Diego
I have a client that provides cash distribution services for financial institutions. lots of armored cars and completely secured facility not open to the public. This facility due to the money involved I believe is treated as a federal facility in many aspects, but permitting of construction is handled at the local level. This facility has several Billions with a B on hand at all times. They move money around in these standard federal reserve glass rolling cabinets that are about 36"x36"x 42" or so and contain an average of 9 million dollars and weigh close to a ton.

They have recently installed a modular vault within one of the cash/coin rooms to store the cash cabinets in an even higher security situation. The vault requires a ramp to access that is not compliant in terms of slope for accessibility. Not to mention the 2 ton door takes more than 5lbs to operate................but I digress. The local jurisdiction is requesting that we provide disabled access to the vault.

I am looking for any code path that I can provide that would eliminate access requirements to the vault. I believe the cash/coin room to be an employee area that would require access into and back out of, but the vault is a piece of equipment that would not require access into. OR possibly 11B 203.4 "Limited Access Areas" for an exception? It is seriously limited access, but the access is not thru a catwalk, ladder or crawlspace......................

Any ideas and or suggestions?
 
2 code paths for your consideration:

1. What about 203.3, "areas raised primarily for the purposes of security"? The reason the ramp is needed is because of the security door on the vault, right? That could exempt you from all requirements.

2. Given that the vault itself is a type of "work area equipment", consider utilizing 11B-206.2.8 "Employee Work Areas" exception #2:
  • "Common use circulation paths located within employee work areas that are an integral component of the work area equipment shall not be required to comply with 11B-402."
Note that 11B-402 addresses "accessible routes" and the walking surfaces, doorways, ramps, etc. that are the issues you mentioned above, so the exemption from compliance with 11B-402 should address all your concerns.

Whatever code path you ultimately choose, I would definitely print your code citations on the plans so that the exemption becomes part of the project record.
 
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Yeah we don't need specifics of the location, etc.

I'm remind of that scene from Archer where he needs to break into his own company's super high-security vault:
 
With accessibility, jurisdictions need to apply some common sense. If we provide a barrier free path of travel for the employee, what work is the employee able to do? If they are unable to perform work related duties in the floor space, providing a path of travel is pointless.
 
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Reasonable accommodations?


So do these carts have powered wheels or moved by some other mechanical means??


I know when I move my millions, the money is heavy.

Besides employee access

Put a lift in for the carts?
 
The jurisdiction saw the light..............11B-206.2.8 exception #2 that we had been pushing the entire time.

The carts are not powered and they are heavy. they shove em up the ramp into the vault.
 
Similar to a walkin frig in a resturaunt but what if you are accidently locked in?
Carts are not fixed elements.
 
There are provisions for getting out of a locked safe from the interior. Their procedures would not allow that to occur as that could be attempted robbery.
 
UPDATE: As mentioned above the jurisdiction has accepted the exception 11B-206.2.8 exception #2. for a ramp into the vault. Now they are insisting that it must comply with the exiting code and cannot have a step without a handrail and landing at the vault door. not possible
 
JPohling said:
must comply with the exiting code and cannot have a step without a handrail and landing at the vault door. not possible
Click to expand...
Yes it is possible, the customer just doesn’t want to pay for it.

I had an old bank in downtown Durham NC. Big round door, more than 6 ft dia. The bottom part of the door was below finished floor level, there was a section of floor that moved out of the way to allow the door to swing, then moved back to allow cash carts to roll in.
 
Nope not possible in this condition and no one is concerned. leave as constructed, pull the permit application and were good.
 
How high is the threshold at the vault door?

1010.1.5 Floor Elevation

There shall be a floor or landing on each side of a door. Such floor or landing shall be at the same elevation on each side of the door. Landings shall be level except for exterior landings, which are permitted to have a slope not to exceed 0.25 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (2-percent slope).

Exceptions:
Doors serving equipment spaces not required to be accessible in accordance with Section 11B-203.5 and serving an occupant load of five or less shall be permitted to have a landing on one side to be not more than 7 inches (178 mm) above or below the landing on the egress side of the door.
 
Thanks Yikes! we have already resubmitted the ramp without handrails using the exception CBC 1003.5 as we are only 5" elevation change and will provide a contrasting floor finish.
 
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